The “1st International Congress on Buddhist Women’s Role in the Sangha: Bhikshuni Vinaya and Ordination Lineages” was held at the University of Hamburg from July 18-20, 2007, in cooperation with the University’s Asia-Africa Institute.

Congress Proceedings now available

A large part of the proceedings of the International Congress on Buddhist Women's Role in the Sangha has been published by Wisdom Publications in May 2010. For Details see www.wisdompubs.org.

German translation of Dignity and Discipline (Deutsche Übersetzung von Dignity and Discipline): "Mit Würde und Beharrlichkeit", published 2011 by edition steinrich.Details see www.edition-steinrich.de.Buy this Book at www.amazon.de.

Papers presented during the Congress, but not included in "Dignity and Discipline" as well as other essays realted to the congress topic you can download for free here .

News: Conferrence "Buddhist Nuns in India"

The University of Toronto/McMaster University Yehan Numata Buddhist Studies Program is pleased to announce an international conference on the lives of ordained Buddhist nuns in India from the time of the Buddha until the eventual disappearance of the bhikṣuṇī saṅgha from Indian soil. Date: April 16-17, 2011, University of Toronto.buddhiststudies.chass.utoronto.ca/buddhist-nuns-in-india

Information about Developments after the Congress

This website still enjoys about 700 visitors per month. We therefore decided to keep this website as information on the congress uploaded. Researchers, speakers and participants thus have the possibility to keep informed and share information. Suggestions for improvement are most welcome. Please understand that we can only upload information we receive. Please contact: JampaTsedroen@gmx.de

Activities of the Committee for Bhikshuni Ordination (CBO)

The Committee for Bhikshuni Ordination (CBO) is a committee established at the advice of His Holiness the Dalai Lama in 2005, whose goal is to make full ordination available to nuns in all Buddhist traditions, especially the Tibetan tradition. Although this goal has the strong support of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, heads of various Tibetan traditions, and leading Buddhist masters, the issue is still sufficiently controversial and misunderstood within the Tibetan monastic community and the general Tibetan public that the goal has not yet been accomplished. It is widely recognized that further efforts at education to build consensus are needed.Further information and funding request

Photos and Live-Recordings

The “1st International Congress on Buddhist Women’s Role in the Sangha: Bhikshuni Vinaya and Ordination Lineages” was held at the University of Hamburg from July 18-20, 2007, in cooperation with the University’s Asia-Africa Institute.

Congress Proceedings now available

A large part of the proceedings of the International Congress on Buddhist Women's Role in the Sangha has been published by Wisdom Publications in May 2010. For Details see www.wisdompubs.org.

Papers presented during the Congress, but not included in "Dignity and Discipline" as well as other essays realted to the congress topic you can download for free here .

News

In Oct. 2009 a bhikkhuni ordination took place in Australia which was headed by Ven. Ajahn Brahm. The ordination ritual was criticized by Ven. Thanissaro claiming the invalidity of the ordination due to formal flaws. Even in case there have been some minor mistakes according to the Pali Vinaya, Ven. Bhikkhu Bodhi rejects the invalidity.

Information about Developments after the Congress

This website still enjoys about 700 visitors per month. We therefore decided to keep this website as information on the congress uploaded. Researchers, speakers and participants thus have the possibility to keep informed and share information. Suggestions for improvement are most welcome. Please understand that we can only upload information we receive. Please contact: JampaTsedroen@gmx.de

Activities of the Committee of Western Bhikshunis (CWB)

The CWB is currently undertaking efforts to develop communication materials to act upon the 7/18/2009 recommendation to the CWB by Mr. Gonpo Puntsok of the Department of Religion and Culture in Dharamsala that if the CWB committee could lobby the community of bhikshu masters using reliable vinaya sources and in harmony with vinaya teachings and Buddha Dharma, to bring about a consensus on accepting a method to make bhikshuni ordination available in the Tibetan tradition, it would bring great satisfaction for every party connected to it.

The congress is organized by the Studienstiftung fürBuddhismus (Foundation for Buddhist Studies) andtakes
place in co-operation with the Asia-Africa-Institute of the University of Hamburg. See our list of sponsors.